To maintain your child care fee subsidy you must
When your child is absent, contact the child care program directly to report the absence and the expected date of return.
Absent days include any day that your child is on vacation, sick or absent for any other reason. Statutory holidays or days that the child care program does not offer service are not considered absent days.
Each child is allowed to be absent for up to 35 days from January to December (or up to 18 days if admitted after July 1). Your child can only be absent for a maximum of 20 days in a row.
You are responsible for paying your assessed fee when your child is absent but if your child is absent more than the allowable number of absent days in the calendar year, you will be responsible for paying the full fee.
If your child has a documented extra support need or if there are extenuating circumstances, such as absences related to medical issues, you may request up to 50 absent days by contacting your caseworker. If your request is not approved, you will be responsible for paying the full fee if your child will be absent for more than the allowable days.
If there is no space in the child care program that you want to transfer to, we will put you on the waiting list and the centre will contact you when there is physical space available.
If you leave the child care program or transfer your child into a new program without following your centre’s policy, you may be asked to pay the full cost of care for up to five days.
Contact your school board to find out when kindergarten registration begins. Once you register, it’s important to let your school know whether you’ll need before-and after-school care for your child. Also, notify your caseworker so your child can be placed on the transfer list as soon as possible.
A family (parent/guardian or child) may be experiencing a significant crisis or challenge (such as a severe medical condition, mental health or addiction issue) that requires the child to be in a child care program to reduce stress on the family or to provide the child with additional supports.
Families requesting child care fee subsidy based on an extra support need should contact their caseworker to discuss the documentation required to help assess the need for child care and the duration of the child care placement.
The City of Toronto believes that every child belongs. We recognize that there are families who may need additional support with their child care arrangements. Support is available and our staff can assist you at any time.
If you or your child have extra support needs, documentation must be provided by a professional in the health or social services field to determine the need and duration of a child care placement based on the extra support needs identified. You can provide a recent written referral/assessment or request an Extra Support Needs form from your caseworkers or by calling 416-338-8888.
When you receive a child care fee subsidy:
If you become pregnant, your fee subsidy can continue for up to five weeks after the expected birth date of your baby. Your child can be readmitted into care on a priority basis up to 18 months from the birth of the baby provided that funding for fee subsidy is available and provided there is a physical space in the child care program.
If you will need child care for the new baby, you can get on the waiting list before your child is born, so apply early and tell us when your baby is born so we have up to date information.
If you change jobs you must provide your caseworker with the required documents that relate to your new job.
If you become unemployed, you will continue to receive a child care fee subsidy for up to three months within a calendar year so you can look for a job. This gives you time to look for work and re-enter the workforce without disrupting your child care arrangements.
You will only receive a fee subsidy for the time that you are in a full-time activity (e.g. full-time school, employment or job searching). For example, if you do not attend school during the summer, but will return in September, you will not receive a fee subsidy for your child/ren during the summer months when you are off.
Important – Be sure to discuss your plans for the summer with your caseworker, before your school/training ends so you are not caught unprepared.
You will need to provide verification of school registration for September at which time your child/ren will be placed back on the waitlist. Your child/ren will be considered for readmission on a priority basis, provided fee subsidy is available and there is a space available in the child care program.
As long as you are involved in full-time employment or school, you will be eligible for your fee subsidy. However, you will need to provide verification of full-time employment to your caseworker so your file can be updated.
You may be given up to three months of job search time in a calendar year. If you’re eligible for job search time but don’t find a job or return to school/training before your job search time expires, your child care fee subsidy will end. However, if you return to a school/training program or start a job within the next six months, you may be placed back on the child care fee subsidy waitlist with a priority for re-admission
Your family’s child care needs will change over time and your Caseworker will help you develop a child care plan to prepare for these changes.
Your Caseworker can help you to transfer to another child care program if